Urgent warning to dog walkers as mystery seaside illness causing pets to 'drop dead'

Hemlock Roots, which is nicknamed "dead man's fingers", is thought to person killed astatine slightest 4 pooches successful Cornwall and Carmarthenshire successful caller weeks - and canine owners are worried

Dog owners are being warned to enactment distant from a "killer" poison works which has been spotted connected the shores of aggregate UK beaches.

At slightest 4 dogs person died and galore much taken sick aft going for walks connected fashionable beaches successful the likes of Cornwall and Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales.

Owners are suggesting their pups mightiness person digested the deadly Hemlock Roots, which causes the pooches to endure diarrhoea and sickness.

The plant, which is nicknamed "dead man's fingers", is wide recorded arsenic the astir toxic works to some humans and animals increasing successful the bluish hemisphere.

Sightings of the "poison parsnips" person led Carmarthenshire County Council and Cornwall Council to counsel canine walkers to enactment distant from their beaches for the clip being.

The authorities besides told owners to "stay vigilant" and recommended they question assistance from a vet arsenic soon arsenic imaginable if their hound has ingested oregon touched the plant.

A three-year-old English Bull Terrier, named Duke, was 1 of the dogs who precocious died aft being taken for a locomotion astatine Little Fistral successful Newquay, Cornwall.

His proprietor Djamila Bousksou said his beloved favored had to beryllium admitted to the ICU aft helium abruptly developed "severe vomiting, a collapsed oesophagus and bloody diarrhoea".

The java store proprietor said the symptom of losing Duke was "unbearable and immeasurable", calling the canine arsenic a "strong, blessed and loyal well-behaved boy".

Describing Duke's treatment, Ms Bousksou told Voice Newspapers : "We decided we didn't privation Duke to endure specified a rollercoaster immoderate longer and arsenic a last past edifice the vets opened up his tummy successful the tiny anticipation they could find immoderate reply oregon mode to prevention him.

"But they recovered thing but toxicity, toxic foul-smelling fluid and inflamed and collapsed intestines; and kindly delivered him from his suffering by not waking him up again."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "We person received reports that Hemlock roots, which tin beryllium poisonous to animals, person washed up successful the Fistral and Little Fistral area.

"Hemlock is autochthonal to Cornwall. During the wintertime it tin beryllium washed downstream from riverbanks and ends up connected our beaches. As a precaution, we are putting up signs urging canine owners to beryllium vigilant and support their pets connected a lead."

Newquay Town Council added: "We person received a fig of calls and messages astir dogs becoming precise unwell aft visiting the Fistral/Little Fistral area.

"Cornwall Council are alert of this. For now, we'd counsel avoiding that country with your dogs. If you person immoderate further questions, delight interaction Cornwall Council directly."

Carmarthenshire Council provided the aforesaid informing to the public, but stressed the works was "not apt to beryllium recovered connected dynamic, exposed areas specified arsenic beaches, unless its roots are washed up connected shore".